INDIA in F1

Tag: Madras International Circuit

  • 4W Racing Championship poised for a thrilling finish

    4W Racing Championship poised for a thrilling finish

    Chennai, 26 Jan 2023: The stakes and expectations are as high as they can get in the fourth and final round of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Car Racing Championship 2022 to be held at the Madras International Circuit on the weekend of January 27-29.

    The two premier categories, MRF F2000 and the Touring Cars comprising three classes, will have three races apiece while four will be run in the Volkswagen Polo Cup, and two each in the Formula LGB 1300 and the MRF Saloons (Toyota Etios).

    The titles in each of these categories are up for grabs and few points separate the front-runners, thus setting the stage for an exciting finish to the monsoon-interrupted 2022 season that spilled over into 2023.

    In what could be a humdinger, the MRF F2000 is headed towards a nail-biting finish with as many as five drivers having realistic as well as mathematical chances (depending on the results) of clinching the championship. With a maximum of 75 points on offer, Sai Sanjay (153), Mohamed Ryan (125), Dillon Thomas Zacharaiah (117), Divy Nandan (113) and Chirag Ghorpade (112) are the front-runners.

    Of the lot Salem’s Sai Sanjay has won three races as against two by Bengaluru youngster Chirag Ghorpade who dropped a lot of points with a non-finish in one of the four races last weekend.

    Two Coimbatore stars, 10 times National champion Arjun Balu (Race Concepts, 93 points) and former title winner, Arjun Narendran (Arka Motorsports, 86), head the Indian Touring Cars category. Narendran scored a double in the previous round last weekend to move closer to Balu who retired from the first of the two races due to engine issues. However, three wins in the earlier rounds ensured Balu stayed at the top in the points table.

    As per provisional standings, Chennai drivers and Performance Racing team-mates Akkineni Anand Prasad (92) and Raja Rajan (78) who between them have won four of the five races so far, are ahead of the pack in the Indian Junior Touring Cars category. Another Chennai and Performance Racing driver, Ritesh Rai (111) enjoys a healthy 31-point lead over Narendran S (Redline Racing) in the Super Stock class.

    The Formula LGB 1300 category has seen the closest races this season with plenty of wheel-to-wheel competition. Raghul Rangasamy (MSport) from Mamallapuram and Nellore’s Viswas Vijayaraj are separated by 15 points in the provisional points table.

    Gurugram’s Justin Singh (129) leads Angad Mathroo (119) in the MRF Saloons (Toyota Etios) category while there is only a 10-point gap among the top three in Volkswagen Polo Cup – Pratik Sonawane (71) form Pune, Raaj Bakhru (66) from Mumbai and Bengaluru’s Adtiya Swaminathan (61).

    Incidentally, Sandeep Kumar won all four Polo Cup races last weekend, but is not eligible for championship points since he is a guest driver.

    Chairman of the Meet Vicky Chandhok said: “On the evidence of last weekend’s races, there is much to look forward to in the final round as we bring closure to the 2022 season that stretched into 2023. We at the MMSC take this opportunity to thank our sponsors MRF Tyres, the competitors and the Media for their wholehearted involvement in various roles.”

    About Madras Motor Sports Club

    Since its humble beginnings in 1953, the Madras Motor Sports Club has grown in stature as the hub of motorsport activity in India. Having moved its racing activities from Sholavaram to its present location, the Madras International Circuit (earlier MMRT), in Sriperumbudur in 1979, MMSC has kept pace with changing times by upgrading facilities. At a cost of about Rs 20 Crore, the MMSC built a pit complex comprising 20 garages, VIP hospitality suites and a viewing gallery, on the eastern side, apart from a second Paddock on the western side with its own short circuit. Parallelly, MMSC imported timing equipment specifically for Drag racing. The Control Room too was upgraded with state-of-the-art hardware while the track itself was improved to meet the exacting FIA standards for Grade-2 certification. MMSC also constructed a 500-capacity grand stand with provision for garages / storage below. In another upgrade, the MMSC installed Digi flags from TAG Heuer Chronolec that will be positioned strategically around the track. The facilities are also extensively used by various vehicle manufacturers for testing their products, displays and corporate days.

  • Divy Nandan, Sai Sanjay share honours in MRF F2000

    Divy Nandan, Sai Sanjay share honours in MRF F2000

    Chennai, 7 Jan 2023: Gurugram’s Divy Nandan and Salem lad Sai Sanjay notched double podium apiece with a win and a third place in the two MRF F2000 races that headlined the opening day of the second round of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Car Racing Championship 2022 at the Madras International Circuit here on Saturday.

    Divy Nandan, 20, who enjoyed a great start in the first race for a comfortable win, finished the day with a third-place finish in the next outing starting from P6. Sai Sanjay, also 20, made amends for a disappointing first race with a fine win in the next starting from P4.

    Also tasting success today was Nellore’s 24-year old Viswas Vijayraj (DTS Racing) in the Formula LGB 1300 category, with a pole-to-flag effort.

    Earlier, 10-times National champion Arjun Balu (Race Concepts) powered to another fluent win in the premier Indian Touring Cars category as he led a Coimbatore sweep of the podium spots, sparing over seven seconds to Arjun Narendran (Arka Motorsports) while 77-year old D Vidya Prakash (Performance Racing), the oldest man in the championship, finished third.

    The ITC along with Indian Junior Touring Cars and the Super Stock classes, was run in a combined grid of 27 cars that saw as many as four drivers penalized for jump start resulting in a couple of podium finishers getting demoted.

    Local veteran Gurunath Meiyappan (Race Concepts) took the honours in the IJTC class with Narendran S (Redline Racing), also from Chennai, topping the Super Stock category.

    Meanwhile, Viswas Vijayaraj chalked up a dominating win from pole to flag in the Formula LGB 1300 category race, easily holding off second-placed Mamallapuram veteran Raghul Rangasamy (MSport) while local ace Deepak Ravikumar (Momentum Motorsports) came in third with a last-lap pass on Bengaluru youngster and team-mate Tijil Rao.

    Justin Singh (Gurugram) and Angad Mathroo (Chandigarh) won a race apiece in the MRF Saloon Cars (Toyota Etios) category.

    The results (Provisional):

    MRF F2000 (Race-1, 8 laps): 1. Divy Nandan (Gurugram) (12mins, 42.224secs); 2. Mohamed Ryan (Chennai) (12:42.715); 3. Sai Sanjay T (Salem) (12:43.385).

    Race-2 (10 laps): 1. Sai Sanjay T (16:01.632); 2. Chirag Ghorpade (Bengaluru) (16:03.564); 3. Divy Nandan (16:08.073).

    Indian Touring Cars (Race-1, 10 laps): 1. Arjun Balu (Coimbatore, Race Concepts) (19:04.128); 2. Arjun Narendran (Coimbatore, Arka Motorsports) (19:11.427); 3. Vidya Prakash (Coimbatore) (20:07.604).

    Indian Junior Touring Cars (Race-1, 10 laps): 1. Gurunath Meiyyappan (Chennai, Race Concepts) (19:32.970); 2. Deepak Ravikumar (Chennai, Performance Racing) (19:36.462); 3. Akkineni Anand Prasad (Chennai, Performance Racing) (19:52.477).

    Super Stock (Race-1, 9 laps): 1. Narendran S (Chennai, Redline Racing) (19:07.337); 2. Ritesh Rai (Chennai, Performance Racing) (19:07.867); 3. Angad Mathroo (Chandigarh, Pvt) (19:41.701).

    Formula LGB 1300 (Race-1, 8 laps): 1. Viswas Vijayraj (Nellore, DTS Racing) (15:06.989); 2. Raghul Rangasamy (Mahabalipuram, MSport) (15:10.325); 3. Deepak Ravikumar (Chennai, Momentum Motorsports) (15:13.839).

    MRF Saloon Cars (Toyota Etios, Race-1, 8 laps): 1. Justin Singh (Gurugram, Redline Racing) (16:34.046); 2. Diana Pundole (Pune, Redline Racing) (16:34.050); 3. Angad Mathroo (Chandigarh, Redline Racing) (16:58.560). Race-2 (10 laps): 1. Mathroo (20:55.583); 2. Jai Prashanth Venkat (Coimbatore, Redline Racing) (21:13.776); 3. Zahan Commissariat (Mumbai, Redline Racing) (21:14.940).

  • Shahan Ali, Akash shine for Speed Demons Delhi; Neel, Akhil salvage win for Hyd: IRL

    Shahan Ali, Akash shine for Speed Demons Delhi; Neel, Akhil salvage win for Hyd: IRL

    Chennai (Tamil Nadu), 4 Dec 2022: Neel Jani and Akhil Rabindra chalked out an opportunistic victory in the Feature Race to help Black Birds Hyderabad maintain their grip at the top after young racing talent Shahan Ali Mohsin took a brilliant win in the Sprint Race 2 for Speed Demons Delhi in the third and penultimate round of the Indian Racing League promoted by Racing Promotions Pvt. Limited (RPPL) at the Madras International Circuit at Irungattukottai, about 40 kms from here, on Sunday.

    Going into the third round, Speed Demons Delhi were lying at the bottom of the points table but with a strategic win in the qualifying session 2, Akash Gowda put his teammate Shahan Ali Mohsin in pole position and the 18-year Agra driver did a brilliant job with a mature drive as he kept experienced Jon Lancaster of Chennai Turbo Riders behind him with excellent defensive tactics despite a Safety Car period and brought home full points. Despite having issues with the gear box, the Speed Demons Delhi, took a gamble and preferred to start on pole, opting not to change the gear box which would have invited a 5-place gird penalty. Lancaster finished second ahead of Nikhil Bohra (Godspeed Kochi) in third, after Bianca Bustamante was hit by a mechanical failure.

    “We did not have it easy in the race, nor earlier in the warm-up as we had gear-box issues. But we had the pace and I kept my focus despite the pressure from Jon (Lancaster). The team did a great job and the strategy worked,” said Shahan Ali.

    Later, Shahan Ali combined well with Akash Gowda and were well on course for a victory but two Safety Car periods spoiled their party. Shahan who started the Feature race, defended well and slowly increased the lead with two fastest laps and handed over the car with a 5-second lead to Akash. Surprisingly, despite being in the lead when the second Safety Car period started, Delhi’s second driver Akash Gowda found himself in third. Sandeep Kumar of Chennai, who was in second place at that point with just a lap to go, stalled his car and the race finished behind the Safety Car. Akash finished behind Jani and Rishon took final place on the podium.

    However, it was an opportunistic victory for Neel Jani, who salvaged full points along with Akhil Rabindra for Black Birds Hyderabad as the championship leaders failed to get on to the podium in both the sprint races in Round 3. Akash Gowda (Shahan Ali) finished second and a lucky Rishon Rajeev (Bianca Bustamante) of Bengaluru finished third, thanks to the Safety Car. During the Safety Car period, the lapped cars were allowed to un-lap themselves and with the mechanical failure for the Chennai car, Rishon suddenly found himself on the podium.

    “I was a bit confused. Suddenly I was behind the Safety Car and I was wondering if I was in P1, then the Safety Car allowed us to pass and I came back into P4 and then the podium,” said a happy Rishon Rajeev of Bangalore Speedsters, whose teammate Bianca did well with some fine defensive driving but was unlucky to miss the podium in the Sprint.

    The Fourth and the final leg of the Indian Racing League will return to the Street Circuit of Hyderabad December 10 and 11.

    Results – Day 2, Round 3:

    Feature Race:

    1. Neel Jani / Akhil Rabindra (Black Birds Hyderabad) 41:20.818;

    2. Shahan Ali Mohsin / Akash Gowda (Speed Demons Delhi) 41:21.384;

    3. Rishon Rajeev /Bianca Bustamanta (Bangalore Speedsters) 41:22.633.

    Sprint Race 2:

    1. Shahan Ali Mohsin (Speed Demons Delhi) 23:04.788;

    2. Jon Lancaster (Chennai Turbo Riders) 23:06.750;

    3. Nikhil Bohra (Godspeed Kochi) 23:13.585.

  • Alister Yoong wins Sprint Race 1; Rishon Rajeev sparkles: IRL Round3

    Alister Yoong wins Sprint Race 1; Rishon Rajeev sparkles: IRL Round3

    Irungattukotti, 3 Dec 2022: Malaysia’s Alister Yoong continued his good run bringing a victory for GodSpeed Kochi in the Sprint Race 1 to make a strong comeback in the Round 3 of the inaugural Indian Racing League at the Madras International Circuit which saw spells of rain here on Saturday.

    While Alister Yoong, son of the first Malaysian F1 driver Alex Yoong, who did brilliant work last week-end, was upto it again and clocked 12min, 22.995 seconds for the eight laps before the race was Red flagged due to heavy rain. With only seven minutes left and 75 per cent completed, the race was not started again and Yoong took the victory in the first sprint followed by young talented Bengalurean Rishon Rajeev, who did a splendid job for Speedsters clocking 12:25.421. Lola Lovinfosse of Black Birds Hyderabad came third bagging 15 valuable points to save the blushes for the Championship leaders. Her teammate in the second car Akhil Rabindra came fifth to chip in 10 points to salvage a total of 25 point in the Sprint race behind the 33 bagged by Kochi team.

    Besides Alister’s 25 points, Ruhaan Alva in the other Kochi car garnered 8 points with a sixth place to steal the day’s honours for Godspeed Kochi.

    Akhil Rabindra finishes 5th in Sprint Race 1 to get 12 valuable points that helped retain their top spot on the IRL standings on Saturday. Photos Karan Ravi for INDIAinF1.

    After the first Sprint Race in Round 3, Black BIrds Hyderabad continue to lead the standings with 193 points followed by Kochi on 153 and Bangalore, 119.

    Earlier, Nikhil Bohra put GodSpeed Kochi on pole in the first Qualifier, to put Alister Yoong on pole with the best lap time of 1:31.825. Jani Neel representing the Black Birds Hyderabad settled for the second spot with the best lap timing of 1:33.212 helping his teammate Akhil Rabindra start on P2 for the Sprint Race 1. Each car has two drivers, and Driver A will qualify for Driver B and vice-versa for the two sprint races. The combined qualifying times will decide the grid for the Feature race.

    In Qualifier 2, Akash Gowda (1:42.017) took pole position in changing weather conditions for Speed Demons Delhi along with Sandeep Kumar from Chennai Turbo Riders (1:45.354) who cemented the second place.

    On Sunday, the Sprint Race 2 will be held followed by the Feature Race.

    The finale of the Indian Racing League will take place in Hyderabad on 10th & 11th December 2022.

    [Best_Wordpress_Gallery id=”21″ gal_title=”Indian Racing League Round3 Sprint Race 1 images”]
  • Akhil Rabindra, Neel Jani star in Black Birds sweep: Indian Racing League

    Akhil Rabindra, Neel Jani star in Black Birds sweep: Indian Racing League

    Irungattukottai (Chennai), 27 Nov 2022: Indian Racing star Akhil Rabindra displayed excellent driving skills and consistency to post a victory in the Sprint Race 2 and later combined with teammate Neel Jani, sharing the car, to win the Feature Race. The duo put strong contenders Black Birds Hyderabad on top of the championship table with a clean sweep of all the three races in the second round of the inaugural Indian Racing League at the Madras International Circuit here on Sunday.

    Godspeed Kochi’s Ruhaan Alva and Fabienne Wohlwend came second in the Feature Race clocking 37 minutes, 05.957 seconds, followed by Amir Sayed and Shohil Shah of Goa Aces who timed 37:23.507 for their third place. Winners Akhil and Neel posted a winning time of 36:55.401. Each of the 12 cars in the Feature race saw a driver change after a mandatory pit stop. Neel Jani also set the fastest lap in the Feature Race 1:31.274.

    Akhil Rabindra of Black Birds Hyderabad who excelled on Sunday.
    Godspeed Kochi’s Ruhaan Alva and Fabienne Wohlwend celebrate on the podium after taking a second in the Feature race. Photos by Srinivasa Krishnan

    Talking to INDIAinF1.com, Neel Jani said: “It was great to see IRL finally lifting off, after a  bumpy start! Obviously, I am very happy about the 3 wins that Akhil and I could give to Team Hyderabad Black birds!

    “We had our fair share of issues in free practice but we managed to go through them step by step, and by qualifying we started to get ontop of things. Clean sweep this weekend, could not have hoped for more!”

    “It is special as this is my first win on Indian soil,” the Swiss driver, whose father is of Indian origin, added.

    Sprint Race 2

    Earlier Rabindra, the 26-year old Bengaluru-born Aston Martin Racing Academy driver, who is a regular in the GT4 Euro Series, began the day with a deserving win in the Sprint Race 2, dominating from pole to flag. He clocked 46:48.660. The race saw a Safety Car period after an incident where Raoul Hymen of Goa Aces and Shahan Ali Mohsin of Speed Demons Delhi had a contact but later with about four minutes to go, the race was red flagged when Celia Martin of Speed Demons Delhi lost control, spun and slid backwards crashing on to the tyre barriers. All the drivers escaped unhurt.

    Godspeed Kochi’s Fabienne Wohlwend from Liechtenstein came second in 46:49.383, defending admirably against a marauding Jon Lancaster of Chennai Turbo Riders, who clocked 46:49.963. Rabindra set the fastest lap at 1:32.108.

    Ruhaan Alva in action on Sunday.

    Feature Race

    Black Birds dominated the week-end and now top the table with 118 points, with their Team A comprising of Akhil and Neel, garnering full 100 points that are on offer from three races. But they had a heart-break when their second driver combo of Anindith Reddy and Lola Lovinsfosse, who garnered 18 points in the two sprint races together, were well on course for a podium finish but Lola outbraked and lost balance, suffering a DNF on the last lap.

    A brilliant drive by 16-year old Ruhaan Alva and teammate Fabienne Wohlwend got them a well-deserved second place in the Feature race and they put Godspeed Kochi in second place with 84 points. Fabienne put the #1 Blue-coloured machine into fourth place after starting from P9, and handed over to Ruhaan in the 15th minute. Then Ruhaan stepped up the pace and overtook a couple of more cars to get into the podium zone and finished a creditable second.

    “It was an amazing race, a great start from Fabienne getting up to p4 on the first lap. Then I had to really push in the second stint to get into the top 3 because we were trying to undercut the others. We weren’t as quick as we would have liked but we were always there, playing it smart in the races and fighting it out. So I’m pretty happy with the performance,” said Ruhaan Alva, who just returned from the World Motorsport Games a few days back.

    Amir Sayed and Sohil Shah of Goa Aces, despite a 15-sec penalty came third. Yash Aradhya and Anshul Gandhi of Bangalore Speedsters came fourth to bag a valuable 24 points that pushed them to third in the championship table with 60 points. Only six of the 12 teams completed the Feature race which saw many incidents including safety car periods.

    The first round in Hyderabad on Nov 20 was cancelled due to safety issues.

    Provisional Results (Round 2):

    Sprint Race:

    1. Akhil Rabindra (Black Birds Hyderabad) 46:48.660;

    2. Fabienne Wohlwend (Godspeed Kochi) 46:49.383;

    3. Jon Lancaster (Chennai Turbo Riders) 46:49.963;

    Fastest lap: Akhil Rabindra (BB Hyderabad) 1:32.108.

    Feature Race;

    1. Neel Jani/ Akhil Rabindra (BB Hyd) 36:55.401;

    2. Ruhaan Alva/ Fabienne Wohlwend 37: 05.957;

    3. Amir Sayed /Shohil Shah (Goa Aces) 37:23.507;

    Fastest Lap: Neel Jani (BB Hyd) 1:31.274.

    INDIAN RACING LEAGUE – Points Standings after Round 2 at MIC

    #Team NameCar #Sprint Race 1Sprint Race 2Feature RaceTotal PointsTeam Total
    1Black Birds Hyderabad9252550+50150168
     Black Birds Hyderabad10612DNF18 
    2GodSpeed Kochi1121836+36102120
     GodSpeed Kochi218DNFDNF18 
    3Bangalore Speedsters3101016+1652100
     Bangalore Speedsters4DNFDNF24+2448 
    4Chennai Turbo Riders58DNF20+205667
     Chennai Turbo Riders6415DNF19 
    5Goa Aces7DNFDNFDNF068
     Goa Aces8DNF830+3068 
    6Speed Demons Delhi11DNFDNFDNF015
     Speed Demons Delhi1215DNFDNF15 
    In Feature race both drivers get points. Note: Table updated on 1dec22
  • Pragathi Gowda, lone Indian to make Stage-3 cut: FIA Rally Star Cup

    Pragathi Gowda, lone Indian to make Stage-3 cut: FIA Rally Star Cup

    Chennai, 11 October 2022: Bengaluru’s Pragathi Gowda kept Indian hopes alive in the FIA Rally Star Asia-Pacific Final as she qualified for Stage-3 of the competition at the Madras International Circuit, here on Tuesday. Australia’s Jaidyn Gluskie was overall the quickest with a blistering best lap of 01min, 34.08secs over a 1,300-metre course.

    The 25-year old Pragathi, who clocked a best lap of 01:41.96, was among 12 qualifiers for the final round which will be run on Wednesday when the Asia-Pacific champion is decided.

    “I am extremely happy to qualify for tomorrow’s Stage-3. The conditions in the afternoon when I drove were much better than in the morning and I was able to perform well. Yesterday was my first experience driving a Cross Car, but now, I am a little more comfortable with it and happy for the opportunity to compete at this competition,” said Pragathi.

    Earlier, six other Indians – Harkrishan Wadia, Arnav Pratap Singh, Tarushi Vikram, Vedant Jouhari, Jasmehar Jubbal and Jeremy Miller – were knocked out. Of the lot, Wadia, the quickest Indian yesterday, was distinctly unlucky to miss the qualification for Stage-3 as he was docked a two-second penalty for knocking down a couple of marker cones in his second timed-lap which put him third in the group, just one second behind Sri Lanka’s Eshan Pieris.

    “In the first timed-lap, the gear slipped into neutral and I lost time. In my second outing, I think I knocked down a couple of marker cones. But overall, it was a good experience,” said a disappointed Harkrishan.

    As in the case of Wadia, much was expected of Arnav Pratap Singh who had fared well in Stage-1 yesterday, but a couple of driving errors during the timed runs today cost the Delhi driver.

    The 25 contestants in Stage-2 today were divided into five groups of five each. The two quickest in each group advanced to Stage-3. They were joined by two others who topped a modified version of Nacon’s WRC 9 game in the Digital Challenge, open to the drivers eliminated after Stage-2.

    The conditions, following overnight rain, were tricky. The slush caught out many drivers, especially those starting down the order. The mud thrown up by the early cars rendered the terrain, which was a mix of tarmac and dirt, slippery, putting a premium on car control. The terrain improved considerably later in the day under bright sunshine and the drivers were able to clock faster times.

    The winners of the Asia-Pacific region will be announced on Wednesday, October 12, after all the drivers have been interviewed by the four-member Jury comprising

    FIA Rally Director Andrew Wheatley (Chairman), Pernilla Solberg, Maciej Woda and Guy Botterill (Driver Advisor).

  • Bengaluru’s Chirag Ghorpade tops MRF F2000 Race

    Bengaluru’s Chirag Ghorpade tops MRF F2000 Race

    Chennai, October 9: Bengaluru teenager Chirag Ghorpade and Coimbatore veteran Arjun Balu (Race Concepts) put in near-flawless performances for commanding wins in their respective categories before heavy rains led to abandonment of the first round of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Car Racing Championship 2022 at the Madras International Circuit, here on Sunday.

    The day’s other winner was Mumbai youngster Zahan Commissariat who claimed the honours in the MRF Saloon Cars (Toyota Etios) race which was red-flagged after five laps due to heavy rains.

    Chirag, 17, led from the front after starting from pole position on the reverse grid of the MRF F2000 category race and barely had to look in the rearview mirrors as he opened up a big gap in the very first lap.

    Such was his pace that was not apparent in yesterday’s Race-1 where he finished eighth, that he made an untroubled progress through the 12 laps that was briefly interrupted by a Safety Car period. Chirag made a well-timed getaway on restart and eventually spared four seconds to second-placed Rishon Rajeev (Bengaluru) with Chennai’s Dillon Thomas Zachariah finishing third.

    Later, it was an Arjun Balu show in the saloon cars race that was run on a combined 27-car grid comprising all three categories – the premier Indian Touring Cars, Indian Junior Touring Cars and Super Stock.

    Balu, starting from pole, briefly slipped to second behind 2017 champion Arjun Narendran (Arka Motorsports), also from Coimbatore, after missing a gear-shift at the start. However, he swiftly moved to the front and increased the gap gradually for a comfortable win despite alternator failure and the car running only on battery power.

    Narendran finished second ahead of Rayo Racing’s Jeet Jhabakh from Hyderabad who was in the brand new Volkswagen Virtus which made its debut in the championship this weekend.

    Behind the front-runners, Chennai’s Gurunath Meiyappan (Race Concepts), racing in the championship for the first time since 1999, topped the IJTC category, followed by team-mate Diana Pundole (Pune). However, both were disqualified following post-race scrutiny for a “technical infringement”. Chennai’s Anand Prasad (Performance Racing), thus, moved from third to first, ahead of team-mate K Srinivas Teja and Charen Chandran (Arka Motorsports).

    Ritesh Rai (Performance Racing), also from Chennai, won in the Super Stock class, followed by DB Motorsports pair of Jason Deepak Saldanha (Mangaluru) and Jarshan Anand (Chennai).

    Provisional results:

    MRF F2000 (Race-2, 12 laps): 1. Chirag Ghorpade (Bengaluru) (21:09.735); 2. Rishon Rajeev (Bengaluru) (21:13.319); 3. Dillon Thomas Zachariah (Chennai) (21:15.235).

    Indian Touring Cars (Race-1, 8 laps): 1. Arjun Balu (Coimbatore, Race Concepts) (15:14.085); 2. Arjun Narendran (Coimbatore, Arka Motorsports) (15:22.908); 3. Jeet Jhabakh (Hyderabad, Rayo Racing) (15:39.557).

    Indian Junior Touring Cars (Race-1, 8 laps): 1. Anand Prasad (Chennai, Performance Racing) (16:05.841); 2. K Srinivasa Teja (Chennai, Performance Racing) (16:18.879); 3. Charen Chandran (Coimbatore, Arka Motorsports) (16:30.685).

    Super Stock (Race-1, 8 laps): 1. Ritesh Rai (Chennai, Performance Racing) (15:19.989); 2. Jason Deepak Saldanha (Mangaluru, DB Motorsports) (15;22.778); 3. Jarshan Anand (Chennai, DB Motorsports) (15:58.631).

    MRF Saloons (Toyota Etios – Race 2, 5 laps): 1. Zahan Commissariat (Mumbai, Redline Racing) (10:44.711); 2. Angad Matharoo (Chandigarh, Redline Racing) (10:46.640); 3. Jai Prashanth Venkat (Coimbatore, Redline Racing) (10:50.412). Special awards for lady drivers (all Redline Racing): Race-1: Diana Pundole (Pune) and Tarushi Vikram (Chikkamgalur). Race-2: Shravanthika Lakshmi (Coimbatore) and Tarushi Vikram.

  • Rajini Krishnan wins a record 11th Indian National title

    Rajini Krishnan wins a record 11th Indian National title

    Chennai, 2 Oct 2022: On a day of drama and suspense, veteran Rajini Krishnan, Mathana Kumar, Jagruti Penkar and Sarvesh Balappa clinched the titles in their respective categories as the fifth and final round of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship 2022 concluded at the Madras International Circuit here on Sunday.

    Rajini (RACR Castrol Power1), needing just one more point for the title, cruised to fourth place to seal the championship, his 11th National career crown, in the premier Pro-Stock 301-400cc Open category, while Mathana Kumar (Pacer Yamaha) from Trichy topped the Pro-Stock 165cc Open class, by also finishing fourth for his third title in 11 years.

    Earlier, Jagruti (Axor Sparks Racing), the 21-year old Science graduate from Mumbai was kept guessing before confirmation came that she indeed was the winner of the Girls (Stock 165cc) championship, her maiden title, following disqualification of race winner, Lani Zena Fernandez (RACR Castrol Power1). Jagruti finished on 81 points to Ann Jennifer’s (Alpha Racing) 80.

    “Shaker’ Bojanna, 2nd from right, raises a toast for Mathana Kumar (astride an Yamaha). Shekar earned the epithet “Shaker” over a decade ago for shaking the big teams. Re-entering the racing scene after over a decade the team achieved the National Championship title with aplomb. Photo by Srinivasa Krishnan

    Until the post-race scrutiny leading to the disqualification, Jagruti was second in the championship behind Alpha Racing’s Ann Jennifer on countback after the pair had tied on points, but the latter clinching the issue having won two races to the Mumbai girl’s none. However, the situation turned on its head after Lani was disqualified. All finishers moved up a spot, pushing Ryhana Bee (Pacer Yamaha) to first, Jagruti to second and Aditi Krishnan (Winverve Apex Racing) to third, while Ann Jennifer ended up sixth.

    Sarvesh Balappa (Axor Sparks Racing), who had taken unassailable lead coming into the final round, kept it clean and avoided close battles for a fourth place. His team-mates Kayan Zubin Patel and Rohan Ramesh came in first and second ahead of Chiranth Vishwanath (Rookies Racing).

    Meanwhile, Rajini did likewise in the concluding Pro-Stock 301-400cc Open race as he was content to follow the Petronas TVS Racing’s trio of KY Ahamed, Jagan Kumar and Deepak Ravikumar. Incidentally, Ahamed completed a double.

    “I took no chances today. After all, I needed just one more point to win the championship. So, I was happy to stay in fourth position throughout the race behind the TVS boys,” said 41-year old Rajini who, incidentally, had the best lap (01:53.099) of the race.

    Jagan also had a brilliant outing in the Pro-Stock 165cc Open race that he won in style ahead of Idemitsu Honda India SK69 Racing’s Rajiv Sethu and Senthil Kumar, for a grand double.

    Two youngsters, Chiranth Vishwanath (Bengaluru), competing in the Rookie category of the Petronas TVS One-Make Championship, and Raheesh Mudassar Khatri (Mumbai) in the Novice (CBR 150) class of the Idemitsu Honda India Talent Cup, created a buzz by winning all 10 races this season.

    Provisional results (all 6 laps unless mentioned):

    National Championship – Pro-Stock 301-400cc Open (Race-2, 8 laps): 1. KY Ahamed (Chennai, Petronas TVS Racing) (15mins, 17.537secs); 2. Jagan Kumar (Chennai, Petronas TVS Racing) (15:17.757); 3. Deepak Ravikumar (Chennai, Petronas TVS Racing) (15:18.787). National champion: Rajini Krishnan (Chennai, RACR Castrol Power1). Team championship: Petronas TVS Racing. Manufacturers championship: Yamaha.

    Pro-Stock 165cc Open (Race-2, 8 laps): 1. Jagan Kumar (Chennai, Petronas TVS Racing) (15:45.594); 2. Rajiv Sethu (Chennai, Idemistu Honda SK69 Racing) (15:46.086); 3. Senthil Kumar (Coimbatore, Idemistu Honda SK69 Racing) (15:47.664). National champion: Mathana Kumar (Trichy, Pacer Yamaha). Team championship: Pacer Yamaha. Manufacturers championship: Yamaha.

    Novice (Stock 165cc, Race-2): 1. Kayan Zubin Patel (Mumbai, Axor Sparks Racing) (13:01.987); 2. Rohan Ramesh (Coimbatore, Axor Sparks Racing) (13:02.099); 3. Chiranth Vishwanath (Bengaluru, Rookies Racing) (13:02.368). National champion: Sarvesh Balappa (Hubballi, Axor Sparks Racing). Team championship: Axor Sparks Racing. Manufacturers championship: Yamaha.

    Girls (Stock 165cc, 5 laps): 1. Ryhana Bee (Chennai, Pacer Yamaha) (11:00.132); 2. Jagruti Penkar (Mumbai, Axor Sparks Racing) (11:00.493); 3.  Aditi Krishnan (Bengaluru, Winverve Apex Racing) (11:05.883). National champion: Jagruti Penkar (Mumbai, Axor Sparks Racing). Team championship: Alpha Racing. Manufacturers championship: Yamaha.

    Petronas TVS One-Make Championship: Open (Apache RR 310) Race-1: 1. Rahil Pillarisetty (Hyderabad) (11:46.885); 2. Manoj Yesuadiyan (Chennai) (11:47.317); 3. Ananthraj (Chennai) (11:47.574). Race-2: 1. Rahil Pillarisetty (Hyderabad) (11:46.127); 2. Ananthraj P (Chennai) (11:46.274); 3. Manoj Yesuadian (Chennai) (11:46.437). Champion: Rahil Pillarisetty (Hyderabad)

    Rookie (Apache RTR 200, Race-2): 1. Chiranth Vishwanath (Bengaluru) (12:27.582); 2. Jinendra K Sangave (Kolhapur) (12:28.388); 3. Savion Sabu (Bengaluru) (12:43.778). Champion: Chiranth Vishwanath (Bengaluru)

    Media (Apache RTR 200): 1. Ishan Lee (11:34.557); 2. Karan Singh (11:43.047); 3. Mandar Sheela Sawant (12:00.631). Champion: Ishan Lee.

    Idemitsu Honda India Talent Cup: NSF 250 Open (Race-2, 10 laps): 1. Mohsin Paramban (Malappuram) (18:40.383); 2. Shyam Sundar (Chennai) (18:41.542); 3. Rakshith Dave (Chennai) (19:04.772). Champion: Sarthak Shrikant Chavan (Pune).

    Novice (CBR 150, Race-2): 1. Raheesh Mudassar Khatri (Mumbai) (12:50.201); 2. Harshith V Bogar (Bengaluru) (13:09.078); 3. Siddesh Sawant (Kolhapur) (13:10.491). Champion: Raheesh Mudassar Khatri (Mumbai).

    Support Race – Honda Hornet 2.0 (Race-2): 1. G Balaji (Chennai) (13:38.195); 2. Romario John (Chennai) (13:38.377); 3. Prabhu V (Chennai) (13:38.574).

  • Rajini Krishnan on verge of record 11th National title

    Rajini Krishnan on verge of record 11th National title

    Chennai, October 1: KY Ahamed of Petronas TVS Racing completed a hat-trick of wins in the premier Pro-Stock 301-400cc category, but veteran Rajini Krishnan moved within one point of clinching the title after a third-place finish in the fifth and final round of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championshp 2022 at the Madras International Circuit, here on Saturday.

    Later, Petronas TVS Racing’s Jagan Kumar notched his second win of the season in the Pro-Stock 165cc Open category, but not before surviving a hectic scramble in the last lap. Idemitsu Honda SK69 Racing’s Rajiv Sethu edged out championship leader Mathana Kumar (Pacer Yamaha) for second place to narrow the points deficit to 14 with one more race to be run on the morrow.

    In the Pro-Stock 301-400cc Open race, pole-sitter Ahamed led a 1-2 finish for his team with Deepak Ravikumar in tow, while Rajini Krishnan (RACR Castrol Power1), starting from P4, struggled with a clutch pedal issue, but used his vast experience to good effect and managed to scramble to third position. The result means that defending champion Rajini needs just one point from tomorrow’s concluding race to seal his 11th career National title. Ahamed trails the champion by 25 points with Ravikumar in third, a further eight behind.

    Earlier, Coimbatore’s Rohan Ramesh fashioned a 1-2 for Axor Sparks Racing in the Novice (Stock 165cc) category ahead of Kayan Zubin Patel (Mumbai) with Vignesh Goud, a privateer from Hyderabad in third. Hubballi’s Sarvesh Balappa, also of Axor Sparks Racing, came in fourth, but he has effectively clinched the title in this category as he leads by 54 points going into tomorrow’s Race-2.

    In the Rookie class of the Petronas Racing One-Make Championship organised by MMSC, Bengaluru’s Chiranth Vishwanath posted his ninth win in as many races as did Mumbai youngster Raheesh Mudassar Khatri in the Novice (CBR 150) category of the Idemitsu Honda India Talent Cup.

     Provisional results (all 6 laps unless mentioned):

    National Championship – Pro-Stock 301-400cc Open (Race-1): 1. KY Ahamed (Chennai, Petronas TVS Racing) (11min, 20.954secs        ); 2. Deepak Ravikumar (Chennai, Petronas TVS Racing) (11:21.029); 3. Rajini Krishnan (Chennai, RACR Castrol Power1 Ultimate) (11:22.050).

    Pro-Stock 165cc Open (Race-1): 1. Jagan Kumar (Chennai, Petronas TVS Racing) (11:50.902); 2. Rajiv Sethu (Chennai, Idemitsu Honda SK69 Racing) (11:51.067); 3. Mathana Kumar (Tiruchirapalli, Pacer Yamaha) (11:51.308).

    Novice (Stock 165cc, Race-1): 1. Rohan Ramesh (Coimbatore, Axor Sparks Racing) (13:00.141); 2. Kayan Zubin Patel (Mumbai, Axor Sparks Racing) (13:02.912); 3. P Vignesh Goud (Hyderabad, Pvt.) (13:04.091).

    Support race (Stock 301-400cc, Novice): 1. Ashwin R (Race Abilities) (12:31.762); 2. Naresh Shobha Kaname (Pvt) (12:37.897); 3. Jayanth Prathipati (Pvt) (12:39.376).

    Qualifying (best lap, top 3): Girls (Stock 165cc): 1. Ann Jennifer (Chennai, Alpha Racing) (02:08.446); 2. Jagruti Penkar (Mumbai, Axor Sparks Racing) (02:08.399); 3. Ryhana Bee (Chennai, Pacer Yamaha) (02:09.858).

    Petronas TVS One-Make Championship: Girls (Apache RTR 200) 5 laps: 1. Nithila Das (Bengaluru) (10:59.765); 2. Ananya Awasthi (Chennai) (11:22.981); 3. Aditi Krishnan (Bengaluru) (11:33.456).

    Rookie (Apache RTR 200, Race-1): 1. Chiranth Vishwanath (Bengaluru) (12:46.968); 2. Jinendra K Sangave (Kolhapur) (12:56.733); 3. Abdul Basim RS (Chennai) (13:15.111).

    Idemitsu Honda India Talent Cup: NSF 250 Open (Race-1): 1. Sarthak Shrikant Chavan (Pune) (11:15.886); 2. Mohsin Paramban (Malappuram) (11:16.828); 3. Shyam Sundar (Chennai) (11:17.075).

    Novice (CBR 150, Race-1): 1. Raheesh Mudassar Khatri (Mumbai) (12:58.554); 2. Harshith V Bogar (Bengaluru) (13:06.690); 3. Siddesh Sawant (Kolhapur) (13:06.845).

    Support Race – Honda Hornet 2.0: 1. G Balaji (Chennai) 13:37.031); 2. Kayan Zubin Patel (Mumbai) (13:46.308); 3. T Ramakrishnana (Valliyor) (13:46.649).

    About Madras Motor Sports Club

    Since its humble beginnings in 1953, the Madras Motor Sports Club has grown in stature as the hub of motorsport activity in India. Having moved its racing activities from Sholavaram to its present location, the Madras International Circuit (earlier MMRT), in Sriperumbudur in 1979, MMSC has kept pace with changing times by upgrading facilities. At a cost of about Rs 20 Crore, the MMSC built a pit complex comprising 20 garages, VIP hospitality suites and a viewing gallery, on the eastern side, apart from a second Paddock on the western side with its own short circuit. Parallelly, MMSC imported timing equipment specifically for Drag racing. The Control Room too was upgraded with state-of-the-art hardware while the track itself was improved to meet the exacting FIA standards for Grade-2 certification. MMSC also constructed a 500-capacity grand stand with provision for garages / storage below. In another upgrade, the MMSC installed Digi flags from TAG Heuer Chronolec that will be positioned strategically around the track. The facilities are also extensively used by various vehicle manufacturers for testing their products, displays and corporate days.

  • Sarvesh grabs pole in Novice class; Ahamed sets the pace

    Sarvesh grabs pole in Novice class; Ahamed sets the pace

    Chennai, 9 Sept 2022: Hubballi’s Sarvesh Balappa (Axor Sparks Racing), with five wins this season, warmed up for the weekend’s double-header by grabbing pole position in the Novice (Stock 165cc) as the fourth round of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship 2022 commenced at the Madras International Circuit, here on Friday.

    Leading the championship in the Novice category, 23-year old Balappa came up with a hot lap of 02mins, 08.591secs in the qualifying session in blazing afternoon sunshine. Filling up the front row were Mumbai’s Kayan Zubin Patel (Axor Sparks Racing, 02:08.616) and Bengaluru’s 12-year old Shreyas Hareesh (Rockers Racing, 02:08.839).

    Meanwhile, Petronas TVS Racing’s KY Ahamed was the quickest in both the premier categories, the Pro-Stock 301-400cc Open and the Pro-Stock 165cc Open during the free practice sessions earlier in the day.

    Ahamed clocked a blistering best lap of 01min, 52.889secs in the Pro-Stock 301-400cc Open category, to nose ahead of veteran Rajini Krishnan (RACR Castrol Power Ultimate1, 01:52.918) who leads the points table going into the weekend and is seeking his 11th National title.

    Later, Ahamed was again in top form, clocking a flying lap of 01:57.379 in the Pro-Stock 165cc Open class, ahead of Pacer Yamaha’s Prabhu Arunagiri (01:58.344), while points table topper Mathana Kumar (Pacer Yamaha) was the seventh quickest in 01:58.740. Less than a second covered the top eight, thus holding out a promise of an intriguing qualifying session on the morrow and the race to follow.

    The results (Qualifying, top 3, Best lap):

    National Championship – Novice (Stock 165cc): 1. Sarvesh Balappa (Huballi, Axor Sparks Racing) (02mins, 08.591); 2. Kayan Zubin Patel (Mumbai, Axor Sparks Racing) (02:08.616); 3. Shreyas Hareesh (Bengaluru, 02:08.839).

    Petronas TVS One-Make Championship – Open (RR 310): 1. Alwin Sundar (Chennai) (01:54.897); 2. Rahil Pillarisetty (Hyderabad) (01:55.058); 3. Kevin Kannan (Chennai) (01:56.327).

    Girls (Apache RTR200): 1. Aditi Krishnan (Bengaluru) (02:11.772); 2. Nithila Das (Bengaluru) (02:13.958); 3. Saimah Ajaz Baig (Pune) (02:15.353).

    Idemitsu Honda India Talent Cup – Novice (CBR 150): 1. Raheesh Mudassar Khatri (Mumbai) (02:07.011); 2. Siddesh Sawant (Kolhapur) (02:08.642); 3. Shyam Babu (Chennai) (02:09.200).